El Toro

Illa del Toro is the islet that closes the bay of Santa Ponsa to the west and, together with the Malgrats, makes up one of Calvià's two marine reserves, declared in 2004. Twenty years of protection show as soon as you drop in: this is one of the few places in Mallorca where the groupers do not bolt.

The islet holds six different sites, and that is where its value lies: the same trip works for a try dive and for an Advanced diver. There is a shallow platform at around 5 m, handy for the safety stop and for first descents; a gentle slope leading to the 15-20 m band, where groupers, moray eels and octopuses gather in the cracks; and the vertical walls at the point, dropping to 35-40 m for divers qualified to go deep.

The marine life is what you expect from a reserve that works: groupers, moray eels, octopuses, scorpionfish, amberjack, gilthead bream, barracuda and nudibranchs. In the channel between the islet and the coast the bottom rises to a few metres, and that is usually where groups go in when the wind pushes from the other side.

Fishing is banned outright from May to October and heavily restricted the rest of the year. Diving requires a reserve permit, arranged by the centre: this is not a dive you can do on your own from a private boat without asking first.